


On the Cherry Blossom Lake

by FoxVII



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Boat Ride on a Lake, Confession, Dumb boys being dumb, M/M, Or rather my attempt at slow burn, Sakura Blossom Festival, Slow Burn, letter writing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-08
Updated: 2016-12-08
Packaged: 2018-09-07 08:29:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8790703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FoxVII/pseuds/FoxVII
Summary: It started with a treaty.
  
  Speeches were made, documents were signed, peace was achieved.
  
  Trust and rebuilding took a fair bit longer.
Written for the ever-lovely Galo. Prompt being: ‘confession at a cherry blossom festival’ and ‘dumb boys being dumb’.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Galo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Galo/gifts).



> Cross-posted from my tumblr @ velocitatis

It started with a treaty.

Speeches were made, documents were signed, peace was achieved.

Trust and rebuilding took a fair bit longer.

As a show of faith, both sides assisted the other whenever possible. Nohrian magic helped reconstruct Hoshidan villages while good, solid Hoshidan wood was sent to Nohr.

Time and again the royals of one kingdom was seen treating with those of the other. It was all an elaborate song and dance, really, a show for the people, a visible message. It was exhausting for all parties involved (shoulders back, head up, smile - good - now stay like that for the next seven hours), but it was  _necessary_.

Elise and Sakura were, predictably, the first to strike up a proper friendship. The girls bonded over the simplest things - Sakura showed Elise how to weave flower crowns with lush (and far more vibrant) Hoshidan flowers. Elise, in turn, coaxed Sakura out into the Nohrian outdoors to show her the stars and convince her that a landscape lit with moonlight could be as pretty as one bathed in sun.

And so it came to pass that evenings in Nohr, whenever the Hosidan royals were around, became camping nights. Both girls had their respective retainers with them, of course, but Takumi would always be the first to jump on any excuse that got him out of yet  _another party_ , never mind the fact that his sister needed to be  _watched_  around so many Nohrians.

Everyone involved each had their little part to play in what quickly became a routine. Niles had been recruited as something of a stargazing guide for the girls, as was Odin (who knew, quite literally, every legend behind each constellation by heart). Leo, meanwhile, knew better than to leave his retainers unsupervised (even if it did mean breathing the same air as Takumi for a time).

Hinata enjoyed the stories as much as either of the girls and was often found lying on his stomach, in the grass, watching Odin's animated performances after Niles pointed out one constellation or another. Oboro had been convinced to leave her naginata behind, and had only her baleful glares for weapons. While her gaze was as sharp as her spears, over time she became more interested in the starry sky above her than with deducing what potential harm the Norhians around her could cause.

Hana would lean against Sakura (making for a cozy puddle of Sakura, Elise, Effie and herself) while Subaki sat by his pegasus, always ready with blankets with any who might need it. Effie munched on her snacks as she kept a careful ear on Niles. The outlaw hadn't slipped yet, but if Elise ever learned another profane word from him she really was going to turn his brain to applesauce. Arthur managed, every time, without fail, to set himself ablaze from the campfire, no matter how far he was seated from it.

This, essentially, left Leo and Takumi to themselves.

At first they'd sit on opposite sides of the group, neither bothering to acknowledge the other's presence. They were civil, of course (for their respective sister’s benefit) but hardly  _friendly_.

Then, one day, someone had the brilliant idea to bring soup to the outing and everything changed. The boys' respective proximity to the soup pot meant that they did need to exchange a word here or there, "Pass the ladle," or, "You like it too?" or, finally, "Would you like more?", “Hey, hand me your bowl. I’m closer.”, “Thank you…”

Both families had tried and failed to get their icy younger brothers to warm up to one another, but  _those_  attempts ended in failure after failure, until they agreed to follow Ryoma’s advice of, “Let them figure it out on their own."

And so they had.

 

***

 

It continued while Leo was in Hoshido.

"What is  _this_?" Leo asked, looking up. His view of his book had been obscured by the sudden presence of a small, cream-and-white-feathered bird. It looked a bit like a minature Kinshi. Unsure what to do with the new acquisition (or why the hell Takumi had just dumped one on him in the first place) he held the book away from himself, studying the creature with no small measure of suspicion.

"Messenger bird," was the succinct answer that he received.

"And?" If it made a mess of his novel, Takumi owed him a new copy.

There was a heartbeat of silence and then, "You  _had_  mentioned that communication between our nations can be slow," Takumi said. "That's what we use," he said, with a nod to the bird. The avian in question fluffed his feathers proudly, as though aware that he was the current topic of discussion.

"Ah." Leo set the book back on his lap, gently reaching a hand out to pet the bird's small head. "So...if I were to give him a letter, he'd fly it directly to you?" he asked, looking up at Takumi with a mixture of caution and amusement.

Takumi's face coloured. The messenger birds of Hoshido were trained to delivered the letter in question to his master and his master alone in, what was, a singular form of communication between two people.

"You've been doing your reading, I see," Takumi said, instead of answering directly. Leo supposed that it was answer enough on its own. 

Leo grinned at the victory. "I would be remiss otherwise." He looked back down at the bird, brushing the back of one finger along its spine. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay."

 

***

 

The start of the letter-exchange was awkward.

Or course, this wasn't so much a product of the content of said letters, so much as it was the lack thereof. The first consisted of a single word, delivered weeks after the Nohrian royal family had left Hoshido, sent from Takumi to Leo:

 

_Hey._

_\-- Takumi_

 

While the receipt of the letter prompted a lengthy tirade from Leo - "How is someone supposed to respond to this? It's all of one word. It isn't even a question! A polite inquiry regarding my well-being, as is commonplace, would have been sufficient." - the ensuing response was a simple, purposely succinct 'hello', _just_  to be obstinate.

The next missive arrived two days later, bearing an equally-infuriating, two-word message:

 

_How goes?_

_\-- Takumi_

 

"How goes _what_?" As was the case last time, the only audience to Leo's irritation was Xander's cat and Odette never had been a good listener. She had only arrived to eye the miniature kinshi (or min-kin, as Leo had been calling it) with interest, sizing it up as a potential snack.

The min-kin fluttered to the safety of the perch that was Leo's shoulder and tucked himself close against Leo’s neck, in the perfect position to watch the prince scowl down at the blank page before him.

Certainly, Takumi had never been  _verbose_ , that was true enough and Leo hadn't been expecting an exchange of  _novels_. So, either Takumi was exponentially poor at letter-writing (unlikely, considering that this had been his idea in the first place) or...

Or he was being purposely irksome.

With a soft, bemused snort, Leo dipped his quill into the ink well and wrote:

 

_It goes. However, I had hoped that a prince would be more eloquent. Your writing skills are lacking, Prince Takumi._

_\-- Leo_

 

He let the ink dry and folded the letter as he was once shown, tucking it into the small holder tied to the min-kin's leg, sending the bird off once again (and away from Odette's hungry attention).

The next letter arrived the following day.

 

_I was wondering when you'd catch on. Quick response. Are you that eager to talk to me? It's good to let the bird rest between letters, you know._

 

Leo winced at that. He hadn't thought of the bird’s well-being and he sent the min-kin an apologetic look (one which was missed entirely - he was busy cleaning his feathers on Leo's windowsill). Leo looked back down at the letter, continuing to read.

 

_Good._

 

Leo stared at the word, pondering the implications while simultaneously trying  _not_  to think of all it could potentially  _mean_.

 

_So tell me. What have you been working on?_

_\-- Takumi_

 

Leo's response was sent at first light the next morning:

 

_Have I ever told you my theories regarding time travel magic?_

_\-- Leo_

 

The afternoon brought him a quick:  _Sounds like a bad idea. Go on._

The min-kin had a difficult time carrying the ensuing, weighty response.

 

***

 

The proceeding days and months found the boys huddled together over a scroll or a tome whenever they happened to be in the same country at the same time. Whenever they were spotted it was always in deep conversation and always oblivious to the world around them. Now and again they were found asleep amidst their books and papers, doubly oblivious.  Walks were taken, theories were expounded and occasionally refuted, much to Takumi's satisfaction and Leo's chagrin. If anyone noticed a long look thrown in the direction of the other, it was politely ignored, or witnessed with a soft smile and a softer snicker.

 

***

 

"You seem... _eager_ , little brother," Xander commented lightly. Much to Leo's personal satisfaction he was, indeed, able to keep the annoyed twitch of his lip to himself (though Camilla's knowing smirk made that a bit more difficult). Thankfully, Elise was too busy hanging out the carriage window and admiring the Hoshidan countryside to engage in her brother's torment as well.

"Eager to see the blossoms you mean? Yes. I've been told that it's quite a sight," Leo answered, refusing to acknowledge what both of his elder siblings were prodding at.

"Sakura says that it's like pink rain when the wind shakes the petals from the trees!" Elise chirped. She had crawled almost entirely out the window, blonde curls tossing in the breeze. "Hey! Do you think that's why she's named 'Sakura'? Pink hair after the pink flo--heyy!"

Leo grabbed her by the back of her dress, hauling her bodily back to her seat next to him. "Stop that. You look ridiculous," he told her, while fending off flailing limbs as she tried to shake him off.

"Hey! Let go!"

"Let her have her fun, Leo," Camilla chided.

A final swat to his arm and then Elise was moving across the carriage to squeeze herself in beside Camilla and Xander, sending a baleful look at Leo.

"Aww, don't look so dour, Leo," Camilla cooed. "Oh, I know! Elise, here, sit on my lap, darling."

"Kaay!"

"Alright, are you comfortable dear? Good. Now, Leo, come here."

"What? Why?" Camilla was  _plotting_. That was nothing short of dangerous.

"Because you look so cold over there, little brother. Now, come here. There's plenty of space," she said, patting the narrow spot beside her.

"No there isn't!"

"C'mon Leo!" Two hands landed on Leo's arm - one belonging to Elise and the other to Camilla. Leo set his feet against the bottom of the carriage, locking his free hand down on the seat, resisting the pull.

"Oh my, he's being stubborn. A little help, brother dear?" Camilla asked, sending a sly look at Xander. The king didn't answer, though his lips were beginning to pull into one of his rare smiles. He did, however, uncross his legs and lean over, grabbing hold of Leo's other arm.

Leo was unable to stand his own under their combined might and was yanked forward to be crushed into the slip of space between his siblings as Elise cheered in victory.

Leo grumbled something unintelligible under his breath. Well  _fine_. If it  _was_  happening, then there was no sense in being uncomfortable the rest of the ride to Hoshido. He found his head resting against Xander’s shoulder as he stretched a leg out under Camilla's. Elise tossed her own across his lap.

The steady rocking motion of the carriage and the soft sounds of Elise and Camilla's chatter eventually lulled him to sleep.

When he next woke, they were in Hoshido’s capital.

 

***

 

“Well?”

“Well what?”

“Well, what do you think? It’s your first cherry blossom festival, right?” Leo felt Takumi’s elbow dig into his side for the second time. “So…?”

Leo looked out over the lantern-lit pathway. The gold tint of the lantern-flames reflected against the pale-pink petals, gilding them with light. It flickered across the lake as well, where painted, narrow Hoshidan boats bobbed in the water. Leo could still hear the soft sound of conversation and laughter wafting over from the festival proper, not to mention the smells of the many specialty dishes that had been made precisely for the occasion.

Even the presence of the Nohrian party didn’t put a damper on the festivities. Either the Hoshidans were coming to terms with the Hoshido-Nohr peace, or they simply were too involved with their own affairs to bother giving the foreigners much attention.

Leo looked over at Takumi. The lantern-light had threaded his hair with varying shades of silver and gold while also setting alight the shine from the silk of his yukata. Altogether, he was a bit difficult to look at, as though the mere act of watching him would somehow reveal what was in his heart.

Leo cleared his throat, looking away and tugging at one of the over-large sleeves of his own yukata. “It’s breathtaking,” he answered.

“Heh. Thought you’d like it. Hey, come over this way. There are more boats. We can go out onto the lake. I’ll row.” Leo’s arms were given a bemused look. “With _those_  we wouldn’t get anywhere.”

Leo spluttered. “E-excuse me! I could row just as well as you…” Though, of course his mind was more fixated on the sudden, unasked-for memory of Takumi in his training garb, the look of concentration on his face and…

Well, if his exercise clothing was designed to lend a greater ease of motion for his arms then they also had the added benefit of making for a rather excellent view of said arms…and shoulders…and part of his back.

He didn’t allow himself to spend much time entertaining what it would be like to have Takumi's gaze fixated on  _him_  and not his target. Leo wasn’t given much time either. The next minute he was being manhandled towards a boat and ungracefully guided inside. A rustle and a push and the boat was being shoved into the water with Takumi hopping in, all without getting his sandals wet.

Leo couldn’t be sure whether Takumi was merely showing off or being a good host, but the boat was indeed rowed out to the lake under the archer’s power. It was nice, Leo noted. The lights of the paper lanterns coloured the water a hundred different shades, from red to purple to blue and gold. The boats were spaced few and far between, creating for nice, cozy little bubbles of privacy for the couples to enjoy the sights and sounds of the festivals.

_Couples._

Leo’s gaze snapped to Takumi, for a moment not daring to breathe. It couldn’t be… _possible_  could it? No, certainly not. There was no need for Leo to confuse the friendship that they shared with anything else. The other prince was merely showing him the many activities of the festival, just as how he had lead him from booth to booth, pointing out the symbolic meaning of the totems, or guiding him to a food stall that he thought Leo would prefer, or…

Or the trinket that Takumi had given him. 

Leo’s eyes dropped to his wrist and the red ribbon which had been tied around it. Threaded onto the ribbon were a few beads, painted with characters he couldn’t yet read. He was working on amending that particular gap in his knowledge, however. Part of the plan was to return to Nohr with some starter texts on Hoshidan language, and the promise of help from a long-distance tutor. 

Though, it wasn’t so much the beads and what they might say, but the ribbon itself that caught Leo's attention. It reminded him of one he had seen so many times before…

He looked back at the other prince. The archer was looking out over the water, one elbow braced against the lip of the rowboat. As though sensing eyes on him, Takumi turned his head, raising a brow in a silent question.

Leo struggled a moment before he steeled himself and said, “This is quite…pleasant, hm? It’s a nice spot for two people to go.”

“Well, that’s sort of the poi--…Yes, I suppose,” Takumi said, his initial bluster evaporating as he looked away again, focusing determinedly on whatever spot on the horizon which had him so fixated.

“And you brought me out here,” Leo pointed out.

“Seems so,” Takumi responded, with a vague gesture at the boat. “Thought you’d like the view, that’s all.”

Leo grinned, shifting enough so that he could nudge Takumi’s leg with his own. “I am.”  _That_  got his attention. Leo was mildly gratified to see that his person could, in fact, be of greater interest than whatever sakura tree that Takumi was staring holes into.  “Had you missed me?”

“Excuse me?”

“Had you missed my companionship?”

There was a long pause, presumably as Takumi fished for the suitable words. “Good shogi players are hard to find.”

That was as close to a 'yes' as Leo was going to get. “Ah, I see. You like me for my mind alone.” There were worse qualities to be admired for, Leo mused.

An indistinct hum was his response. “You’re good to argue with.”

“Is that all?”

His words prompted a flicker of a smile to dawn on Takumi’s face. “Perhaps.” Smiles looked good on Takumi. While they had started off as rare occurrences, Leo had since categorized the lot of them. They came in several varieties: happy (of course), shy, soft, gentle, teasing, confident, arrogant, proud… Perhaps Leo had spent too much time cataloging it all, but he didn’t regret the individual instances which had prompted the emergence of each.

This time, Takumi’s smile had the effect of emboldening him. Perhaps was nothing but the  _atmosphere_. The lake, the petals which danced in the breeze and fluttered around them, the lantern-light and it's many-hued colours. and, of course, the company.

Emboldened, yes, but his pulse still thundered in his veins. Leo’s heartbeat should’ve been heard for miles around, echoing like a drumbeat across the lake. It was a wonder how he hadn't garnered more stares. As it was, Leo seemed to be surrounded by relative privacy, and with that reassurance, he said, “Shall I tell you then, all the things I like about you? Then you can see how it's done - the giving of a compliment, I mean." 

Takumi’s eyes went wide. “W-what? No, that's fine I don't--"

"Your strength, for one," Leo said, carrying on, determinedly. "Not merely your battle prowess but your strength of character. Your kindness, that you keep locked away, but I know it to be there. I've seen it. Your determination...your stubbornness too."

"Leo..."

"Your mind. Your wry wit and the way you can follow my tangents. No, not merely  _follow._ You  _understand_ them, well enough to counter me, challenge me."

"Leo."

"And I suppose I ought to mention your beauty as well." Leo had said this much, hadn't he? What's a bit more? If it fell flat, he could find some excuse later. Blaming Nohrian bluntness seemed like a valid option. "You are very handsome, Takumi."

Leo dared to look up from the ribbon. "You...you are my equal and rival both."

For a long time Takumi didn't speak, though whenever he was rendered momentarily mute or perhaps merely contemplative was not clear. His throat bobbed as he swallowed and Leo followed the shift of his Adam's apple with an abstract sort of interest.

"Say it properly."

"Pardon me?" Leo asked.

"What you're trying to say. Say it properly."

"Takumi..."

"Say it, and I'll give you my answer." There was a gentleness in Takumi's tone that gave Leo hope.

"I.." he hesitated. His recent exposition was so easy. Why was this difficult in comparison? How silly.

With that thought in mind, Leo continued. "I am very fond of you, Takumi. Perhaps more than I should be. If you need it clearer than that then let me say that I like you, very much and I'd like it very much if I could continue to get to know you..albeit in a different capacity."

When Takumi reached out to take his hands it was nothing short of a miracle that Leo's heart remained within the confines of his ribcage. "Okay," Takumi said, with a smile.

Leo's heart stopped altogether, then resumed at twice the pace even as his brows pulled into a scowl. _"Okay?_ That's it? That's all you could come up with? I bare my heart to you and that's all you can--mmph!"

Soft lips connected with his own and Leo allowed himself to forget what the intended end of his sentence had been.

Takumi pulled back, smiling the sort of smile that began doing things to Leo's respiratory system again. "I care for you too, my reedy little bookworm."

Still reeling from the kiss, it took Leo a moment to remember how to frown, and a moment more to arrange his features thusly. "We still need to work on your ability to give compliments."

The sound of Takumi's laughter echoed across the lake. Leo would address the matter of compliments later. For now, he found a better use for Takumi's mouth and pulled him in for another kiss. 

 


End file.
